1. Prof. Dr. Ali Ekrem Özkul Ass. Prof. Dr. M. Emin Mutlu Anadolu University, Turkey A ROAD MAP PROPOSAL FOR TRANSITION TO LARGE SCALE E-LEARNING IN OPEN UNIVERSITIES: CASE OF ANADOLU UNIVERSITY OPEN EDUCATION SYSTEM

2. e-Learning in Open Universities The importance of the use of information and communication technologies (e-learning) in education has increased since the second half of 1990’s. In open universities having a large number of students and acting as central institutions, transition to e-learning applications has not been occurred as fast as expected. When the web sites of the 20 mega universities in the list of UNESCO are examined, it is seen that except for some universities such as Korea National Open University, University of Phoenix, Athabasca University and Anadolu University, those universities continue to use traditional distance learning methods.

3. Transition to e-Learning in open universities Designing and putting into practice the e- learning systems in open universities is difficult because there are many programs, courses and students.

4. Multiphase evolution approach An approach to design and put into practice the e- learning system in open universities is a multiphase approach. It starts with simple e-learning practices for large number of people, and then, transition to complex e- learning practices occurs. In this way, –many academic personnel and students are included in the project starting from the first steps, –planning and controlling processes gets easy, –and the results of the investments for each phase are obtained in the same phase.

5. A road map for transition to e-learning PhaseName of the Phase Action 1. Phasee-ExamPreparing and publishing Internet based trial exams that include questions randomly withdrawn from a question bank for all possible courses. 2. Phasee-FacilitatorPublishing an asynchronous questioning and answering system among academic facilitators and students for all possible courses via the Internet. 3. Phasee-BookStarting the distribution of electronic copies of course books on the Internet for all possible courses. 4. Phasee-TelevisionStarting the Internet publication of digitized video files of television programs for all possible courses 5. Phasee-Audio BookStarting the distribution of dramatized voice files of course books in the Internet starting from the courses having the highest number of students. 6. Phasee-Practice Starting from the courses having the highest number of students, preparing voiced course software that include components such as many questions with answers, interactive examples, test and content summaries 7. Phasee-CourseStarting from the courses having the highest number of students, preparing e-learning software that aim to teach the course using video/voice and interactive animations in the Internet

6. Transition process An e-learning practice is started in each phase and this practice continues in the following periods. Hence, when the seventh phase is reached, seven e-learning practices that are parallel to each other will be in practice. In this way, all the options necessary are offered so that students having different learning styles can benefit from the most appropriate learning environments for them.

7. Adaptation of the road map The determination of these phases and their order may change depending on the countries or on the sources of the open universities in a country. If the Internet infrastructure in a country is developed and a large proportion of students access the Internet, a decision to whether or not practice more than one phase of the roadmap simultaneously depends on the resources of the university. If the copyright rules of a university does not allow the practice of services such as e-Book, e-Television or e- Audio Book, those phases can be excluded from the roadmap.

8. The main factors The main factors that affect the design and implementation of the e-learning system in open universities can be listed as  skills necessary for transition to e-learning,  organizational structure, e-learning teams and institutional resource content,  infrastructure for e-learning development and publishing – the Information Technologies (IT) infrastructure owned by students, and  the cost of transition to e-learning. The roadmap for transition to e-learning suggested for open universities will be analyzed in terms of those factors.

9. Skills Necessary for the Phases of e-Learning PhaseTransitio n Period Skills Necessary for the Development and Implementation of the e-Learning Service (Degree of Complexity) e-Exam3-6 monthsWeb application development, arranging organizations for the updating of questions of many courses e-Facilitator3-6 monthsWeb application development, moderator support, facilitation skills e-Book3-6 monthsWeb application development, transforming various formats into PDF and Flash Paper, arranging organizations for updating a large number of course books e-Television3-6 monthsWeb application development, transforming various video formats into WMV, arranging organizations for updating the television programs of many courses. e-Audio Book3-6 monthsWeb application development, transforming various voice formats into MP3, arranging organizations to update the audio book of many courses e-Practice1-2 yearsWeb application development, scenario development, developing template units using Flash, developing animations using Flash, transforming various voice formats into MP3, arranging organizations for updating the practice software of many courses e-Course1-2 yearsWeb application development, scenario and storyboard development, developing template units using Flash, Developing animations using Flash, transforming various voice formats into MP3, transforming various video formats into Flash video, ensuring audio, video and animation synchronization, arranging organization to update the tutorial software of many courses

10. Organizational Structure, e-Learning Teams and Resource Content PhaseTeam StructureNecessary Content/Source e-ExamProgrammer – Data Entry Operator – System Administrator Questions asked in previous examinations e-FacilitatorProgrammer – Facilitator – System Administrator Facilitators e-BookProgrammer – Support of the typography operators –Scanner Operator- System Administrator Published course books e-TelevisionProgrammer – Digital video operators- System Administrator Broadcasted television programs e-Audio BookProgrammer – Vocalization personnel – Digital audio operators – System Administrator Published course books e-PracticeProgrammer – e-Learning designer – Subject matter specialist – Voice-Video-Animation designer – Vocalization personnel - Editor – System Administrator Instructional and development scenario for original product e-CourseProgrammer – e-Learning designer – subject matter specialist –Voice-video-image-animation designer – Vocalization personnel – Television artist - editor –System Administrator Instructional scenario, development scenario, storyboard for original product

11. e-Learning Development and Production Infrastructure and the Infrastructure of IT Owned by Students PhaseDevelopment and Publishing Infrastructure Software (Used at Anadolu University) Access Infrastructure of Students Software Necessary for Access e-ExamDesktop computer – small server– web application– at least 2 Mbps network connection At the beginning (Apache - CGI – Visual Basic – Access), at the end (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 64 Kbps Dial-up network connection Web Browser (Text) e-FacilitatorDesktop computer – small server– web application– at least 2 Mbps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 64 Kbps dialup network connection Web Browser (Text) e-BookDesktop computer – small server– web application– at least 8 Mbps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 64 Kbps dialup network connection Web Browser (PDF) e-TelevisionWorkstation – middle server – web application – at least 32 Mbps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 128 Kbps ADSL network connection Web Browser (Media Player) e-Audio BookWorkstation– middle server – web application – eat least 32 Mbps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 128 Kbps ADSL network connection Web Browser (Media Player) e-PracticeWorkstation – big server – LMS – at least 100 Mbps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 256 Kbps ADSL network connection Web Browser (Flash Player) e-CourseWorkstation – big server– LMS – at least 200Mps network connection (IIS -.NET – SQL Server) Web application At least 512 Kbps ADSL network connection Web Browser (Flash Player)

12. Cost Projection PhaseCopyright CostsPersonnel i n e-Learning Development Unit Personnel Outside the Unit Infrastructure (Production and publishing) Cumulative Total Cost e-ExamIt is not necessary for the exam questions asked in the past. Copy right payments of new exam questions must be paid 1-10Question writers, editors Small1 e-FacilitatorFacilitation fee must be paid. 1-10FacilitatorsSmall3 e-BookThe copyright costs of the books are zero since the copyright of the books belong to the university. 1-10Book writers, editors, index operators Medium6 e-TelevisionThe copyright costs of the television programs is zero since the copyright of the programs belong to the university. 10-50Scenario writers, speakers, TV production team Medium10 e-Audio BookAudio-visual development copyrights must be paid. 10-50Vocalization staff, voice technician Medium15 e-PracticeCAI development copyrights must be paid. 50-100Subject specialists, editors Large21 e-CourseCAI development copyrights must be paid. 50-100Subject specialist, editors Large28

13. Case of Anadolu University PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Publishing Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Exam6 months1999/12Academic studies in 1997- 1998 about developing test software in the Internet environment 124 courses, 11216 questions 180.502 different students took 7.937.775 trial examinations e-Practice6 months2003/3Design applied for 1993- 1999 LAN, 2000-2001 CD- ROM 50 courses, 738 units 120.421 different students studied 3.866.446 units e-Book3 months2003/9e-Book practices in 2000- 2001 CD-ROM and 2003 e- Practice designs 2724 units for 211 courses 116.321 different students read 987.767 units e-Television3 months2004/4e-Television practices in 2000-2001 CD-ROM and 2003-2004 e-Practice designs 1196 programs for 163 courses 122.306 different students 1.023.665 units e-Facilitator3 months2005/5e-Facilitator practice in Information Management Program in 2001-2005 This service is for 50 courses 2937 questions were asked e-Audio Book3 months2005/9Audible screen video CD- ROMs in 2001-2005 Information Management Program 220 units for 12 courses 56.561 different students listened to 370.315 units. e-Course8 months2006/12e-Learning Project developed for the Ford/Otosan project in 2006/1-2006/8 period 26 courses are under construction Not available for publishing for the time being

14. e-Exam PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Exam6 months1999/12Academic studies in 1997- 1998 about developing test software in the Internet environment 124 courses, 11216 questions 180.502 different students took 7.937.775 trial examinations

15. e-Practice PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentatio n Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Practice6 months2003/3Design applied for 1993- 1999 LAN, 2000-2001 CD- ROM 50 courses, 738 units 120.421 different students studied 3.866.446 units

16. e-Book PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Book3 months2003/9e-Book practices in 2000- 2001 CD-ROM and 2003 e- Practice designs 2724 units for 211 courses 116.321 different students read 987.767 units

17. e-Television PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Television3 months2004/4e-Television practices in 2000-2001 CD-ROM and 2003-2004 e-Practice designs 1196 programs for 163 courses 122.306 different students 1.023.665 units

18. e-Facilitator PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Facilitator3 months2005/5e-Facilitator practice in Information Management Program in 2001-2005 This service is for 50 courses 2937 questions were asked

19. e-AudioBook PhaseDevelopme nt Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Audio Book3 months2005/9Audible screen video CD- ROMs in 2001-2005 Information Management Program 220 units for 12 courses 56.561 different students listened to 370.315 units.

20. e-Course PhaseDevelopment Period Date of Putting into Practice Previous ExperiencesAmount of Presentation Usage Information (first six months of 2006 ) e-Course8 months2006/12e-Learning Project developed for the Ford/Otosan project in 2006/1-2006/8 period 26 courses are under construction Not available for publishing for the time being

21. Conclusion In this study, a road map that open universities can use in transition to large scale e-learning was prepared taking the e-learning practices developed in 1999-2006 at Anadolu University. The suggested road map requires the development of the e-learning services from simple to complex practices in an evolutionary manner and its implementation by involving larger populations in each phase. Factors such as costs, organizational structure, students’ IT use characteristics, availability of the resource content that can be used in e-learning are the factors that determine the road map. The transition to e-learning road map can be adapted by universities in different countries and having different resources.